stores



July 29 1924.

A. P. STORRS TRANSPARENCY AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Filed July 6f/g7 z 4 5:5 III 1 INVEIVT R BY C ATTOR EYS.

Patented -..luly 29, i 924.

'srATEs imam PATENT FFICE.

P. STORES, OF OWEGO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR'TG STORES IVIICA. COMPANY,

OF OWEGO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TRANSPARENCY AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed July 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON P. Sronns, a citizen of the United States,and'a resident of Owego, county of Tioga, and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Transparency and Process of Making theSame, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to transparencies intended primarily to beexhibited or dis played by transmitted light, such, for example as inlamp shades, wall panels, adapted to be illuminated from the rear,columns adapted to be illuminated from the inside, :and the like. andformed of natural products such as mica, onyx, and the like material inwhich discolorations appear, and has for its objects to produce a lighttransmitting body from natural materials, and which will be highlyornamented in character and of low cost.

These and further objects will more fully appear in the followingspecification and accompanying drawings considered together .orseparately.

I have illustrated one embodiment of the invention in the accompanyingdrawings in which like parts in the several figures are designated bycorresponding characters of reference, and in which Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a block of material having unsymmetricaldiscolorations.

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of two thin sheets severed from theblock, the sheet shown in Fig. 3 being reversed relatively to that shownin Fig. 2.

Fig. at is a perspective view showing the sheets of Figs. 2 and 3superposed.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing four superposed sheets, each sheetbeing reversed relatively to each other sheet.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a lamp shade formed of panels of foursheets each.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of a panel formed of two sheets ofappreciable thickness, and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a modification.

I will first describe the process as carried out by the use of materialsof the mica division of the hydrous silicates, and particularly mica ofthe Muscovite group (isinglass, potash mica). It has a perfect basalcleavage, is usually very tough, and the cleavage once of other mineralsand such discolorations areiarely, if ever, symmetrical. When suchdiscolorations or faults occur the value of the mica is very much lessthan the clear, colorless andtransparent sheets or scales. Thediscolored mica is generally used as in sulation, and it may even bethat the minerals causing the discoloration will render it unfit forthat purpose, when it will be fit only for spangling paper, fabrics orthe like.

By my process the cheap, discolored mica is split into lamellte by anydesired means. The sheets or scales, if two are to be used are then laidface to face but reversed one relatively to the other and securedtogether whereby the discolorations of one sheet will be visible throughthe other sheet and a more or less symmetrical design will appear on thelaminated sheet.

If it be desired to make a more completely symmetrical design, foursheets reversed from side to side and from top to bottom may be employedwhereby the discolorations will appear at four places.

In Fig. l of the drawings is shown a block 1 of mica having a discoloredarea 2 in one corner and a splotch 3 of color near the center thereof.

Figs. 2 and 3 show two sheets 4; and 5 split from the block, and Fig. 4shows the said sheets in superposed relation but reversed as to thepositions of discolored areas 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 shows four sheets 4, 5, 6 and 7 split from the block 1 andsuperposed one above the other and with the sheets reversed in bothdirections whereby the areas 2 will appear at the four corners of thelaminated element, and the areas 3 will appear in four places.

When the sheets are separated from the block each sheet carries thesame, or nearly thesame, natural design. Should the sheets be superposedin the same position as they were split off the block, the design ofthenew, laminated structure would be exactly the same as that of the block.

Whenfour sheets are arranged face-tofaceras in Fig. 5, an entirely newdesign will appear for the reason that the designs of all of the sheetswill appear each in a diiferent position on the laminated structure andthe new design will be composed of all of the original designs, each ofthe latter being viewed separately.

In Fig. 6 is shown a lampshade composed of four panels 8 each consistingof a four ply laminated element cut to, shape to form a panel Q, thelamellae of each panel are secured together by means of a binding 9. Oneor both of the exposed surfaces of each panel is preferably renderedtranslucent,;as

to the naturally transparent portions of the .same, byetching, sandblastingor' the like.

Instead of mica any other naturally colored partly transparent ortranslucent material, such an onyx, agate, cats eye, serpentine, quartz,etc, may be employed, as shown in Fig. 7. It will be understood thatwithnaturally translucent materials, such as most of those just abovedescribed,

the step of sand blasting or etching may be omitted.

stone may be backed by a reflecting surface 10 as shown in Fig.8. 7

The process and article of nay-invention .are somewhat similar to woodveneering,

with the important difference thatin the present invention the lamellaemust have transparent or semi-transparent areas, and less transparentareas.

It will be understood that in the case of materials which are notcapable of being split into lamellae as is mica, the material will besawed or otherwisecut into thin sheets or veneers.

It is to'be further understood that the invention isnot limited tobodiesconsist- -,ing of laminated sheets severed .fromthe lsame parent block.The sheets may be severed from different blocks. of the same ma terial,or from different parts of the same block, or each lamellae may be of adifferent material.

'In the use ofmica oneor more of the lamellae may-be of anaturallytinted variety,.such for example as lepidolite, or artificially coloredsheets may be employed. Yvhen tintedsheets are used the sand blastingmay be omitted.

In order to increase the diffusionof the light transmitted through apanel such as that shown in Figs. 5 and 6, one or both sides of any orall of the sheets may be etched or sand blasted. :IVhen the interiorsheets are roughened the exposed surfaces of the panel may, if desired,remain unis desired to have it understood that the apvr paratus shown ismerely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried-out in otherways.

Having now described the invention, what is claimedas new and desiredto, be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows 1. The process of makinga light transmitting body from a natural light transmitting producthaving unsymmetrical discoloratio'ns, which comprises separating thenaturalproduct into sheets, each of said sheets being approximatelyidentical, reversingthe sheets. whereby the discoloration will appear indifferent portions of the sheets, and superposing one sheet over anotherto form a laminated structure showing the discolorations of all of thesheets in a move or less symmetrical design.

2. The process of making a light transmitting body from a natural lighttransmitting product having unsymmetrical discolorations, whichcomprises separating the natural product into sheets, each of saidsheets being approximately identical, reversing the sheets whereby thediscoloration will appear in different portions ofthe sheets,'superposing onesheet over another to form a laminated structure showingthe discolorat-ions of all of the sheets in a more or less symmetricaldesign, and securing the 1 sheets together.

3. The process of making a light transmitting body from a naturalproduct having unsymmetrical discolorations, which comprises separatingthe natural product into sheets, such sheets havingv more or lesstransparent and more or less non-transparent portions, all of thesheetsbeing'approxi- -1nately identicalas to the locations of-the transparentand non-transparent portions, reversing the sheets whereby thediscolorations will appear in difierent portions of the 'sheets,superposing one sheet over another to form a laminated structureshowingall of the discolorations, securing the sheets together, andrendering the transparent portions non-transparent.

4:. The process of-making a light transmitting body'from-a naturalproduct having unsymmetrical discolorations, which oomprises separatingthe natural product into sheets, such sheets having more or lesstransparent and more or less non-transparent portions, all of the sheetsbeing approximately identical as to the locations of the transparent andnon-transparent portions, reversing the sheets whereby the discolorations will appear in different portions of the sheets, superposing onesheet over another, to form a laminated structure showing all of thediscolorations, securing the sheets together, and roughening a sheet.

5. The process of making a light transmitting body from a naturalproduct having unsymmetrical discolorations, which comprises separatingthe natural product into sheets, such sheets having more or lesstransparent and more or less nontransparent portions, all of the sheetsbeing approXimately identical as to the locations of the transparent andnon-transparent portions, reversing the sheets whereby the discolorationwill appear in different portions of the sheets, superposing one sheetover another to form a laminated structure showing all of thediscolorations, securing the sheets together, and roughening a pluralityof the sheets.

6. An article of the character described, comprising a plurality ofthin, more or less transparent sheets, each of the sheets having a zoneof discoloration, said sheets being more or less similar as regards thesize and location of the discolorations, said sheets being superposedone upon the other, but reversed relatively to each other whereby thediscolorations will not be in alinement, the

discoloration of one sheet showing through a transparent portion ofanother sheet.

7. An article of the character described, comprising a plurality ofthin, more or less transparent sheets, each of the sheets having acorresponding relatively non-transparent discoloration, said sheetsbeing superposed one upon the other, whereby the discoloration of eachsheet will show through a transparent portion of each other sheet, andmeans for securing the sheets together.

8. An article of the character described, comprising a plurality of thinsheets of a natural product, said sheets being superposed one above theother, each sheet having an area less transparent than another area,said sheets being so arranged relatively to each other that like areaswill not be alined.

9. An article of the character described, comprising a plurality of thinsheets, said sheets being superposed one above the other to form alaminated structure, each sheet having an area less transparent thananother area, all of the sheets being more or less identical as to saidareas, there being a roughened surface on the structure, said sheetsbein so arranged relatively to each other that ike areas will not bealined, and means for securing the sheets together at the edges.

This specification signed and witnessed this 28th day of June, 1922.

AARON P. STORES. Witnesses:

HELENA OSHAUeHNEssY, FRED G. HORTON.

